The Demko Shark-Cub AUS10A Slicer Shark is a great knife for everyday carry (EDC). Its 2.5 inch drop-point, saber-ground blade is 0.13 inches thick at the spine and has a stonewashed finish. Deep jimping along a longer-than-average segment near the base of the spine of the blade provides extra control during delicate cuts. A thumb notch makes ambidextrous one-handed deployment simple, while presenting a thinner profile than thumb studs.
The glass reinforced nylon (GRN) handle has a canvas-micarta-like finish with contours that fit the index and middle fingers. The scales are reinforced by a steel liner that extends half of the length of the handle to reinforce the innovative shark-lock. The caged-bearings of the pivot-point make deployment extremely smooth. That smoothness combined with the frictionless action of the shark-lock when opened make blade deployment possible with just a flick of the wrist.
An adjustable deep-carry pocket clip secures the knife effectively.
The knife is made in Taiwan and costs $89.99 at the time of this writing at demkoknives.com .
Background
Demko Knives sent me several knives for review some months ago. I began by reviewing the Shark-Cub AUS10A Clip Point. That knife is virtually identical to the Slicer Shark that is the subject of this review with two exceptions: blade geometry and deployment mechanism. The Clip Point has a clip-point blade (as its name suggests) and thumb studs. The Slicer Shark has a drop-point blade and a thumb notch. In terms of both blade geometry and deployment mechanism, I favor the Slicer Shark.
First Impressions
The Slicer Shark arrived in a 6.13 x 3.5 x 3.25 inch shipping box via USPS Ground Advantage from Demko Knives, 408 Neal St., New Castle, PA 16101.
I used the Clip Point knife to open the Slicer Shark shipping box.
The shipping box contained some brown paper packing material, a Demko Knives Shark-Lock decal, a packing list, and the knife in a product box.
The product box was 5 x 1.56 x 0.88 inches in size and made out of paperboard. The knife was wrapped in bubble wrap inside the product box.
I really like knives with blades that have a stonewashed finish. That finish tends to hide signs of use better than most other finishes, thus preserving an attractive appearance.
I also like AUS10 steel. It provides a good balance of strength, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening.
The knife was very smoothly-shaving-sharp right out of the box. I sharpened the knife again after much use, and found it easy to restore the edge to shaving sharp.
The caged-bearings on the pivot point make deploying the blade a breeze. A carefully controlled deployment is possible using the thumb notch, while a more rapid deployment is possible by sliding the Shark lock lever and flicking the wrist. Deployment via either method is extremely smooth, perhaps the smoothest of any knife that I have ever tested.
I am developing a strong preference for thumb notches or holes over thumb studs for deployment. Thumb notches or holes give a thinner profile than thumb studs and are less likely to snag.
The texture on the scales is attractive and provides an effective grip surface.
Testing
Over the course of more than a month of testing, I was able to use the knife for the following tasks:
Opening a package of M&Ms. (Note: I recommend doing this often.)
Cutting boxes and packing tape while helping my daughter “Ella” move.
Cutting wood around a large lag screw head on a bunk bed so that I could get a socket over the screw head in order to disassemble the bed for moving.
Peeling stickers off of bunk bed parts prior to loading the parts in a trailer in order to please my wife “Kari’s” sense of neatness.
Kari and I trimmed back some plants in Ella’s landscaping in order to make room for new growth.
Carving a mark on a tree to indicate the distance from the target stand on an extension of the improvised shooting range behind the pole barn.
Cutting cardboard to use in a fire pot for starting a fire in the fire pit.
Breaking down boxes that were unpacked during the course of Ella’s move.
Opening a box of minibooks from New Growth Press to be distributed in our church foyer.
Opening a box with a Mother’s Day present for Kari and a copy of Where There is No Doctor.
Opening packages of mozzarella cheese so I could shred that cheese to put on pizzas that we were making for some dinner guests.
Opening a box containing another knife for testing.
Opening the dog’s monthly dose of heartworm medication.
Opening the dog’s monthly flea and tick treatment.
Opening mail.
Opening a box containing a saw to be reviewed for SurvivalBlog.
The small city near us grinds trees and branches that they have to take down. They allow people to take the chips. Kari and I were picking up some chips and noticed some sunflowers growing in the weeds by a big pile of dirt. I cut some of the sunflowers so that we could take them home and put them in a vase on the island in the kitchen.
Cutting a length of paracord to use as a measuring line to make sure the diameter of some trees that I was about to cut were suitable to a saw that I was testing.
Cutting away a couple of beech saplings that were growing in Kari’s perennial bed.
Cutting small branches that I had missed with the chainsaw off of rounds that were to be split.
Loosening Montreal Chicken spice that had hardened in the shaker so that I could sprinkle it on chicken that I was grilling.
Scraping corrosion from a contact in the battery compartment of a blood pressure monitor.
Opening a can of chicken with rice soup that had a broken pull tab.
Opening a shipping box containing a rocket stove to be tested.
Prying off the lid of a paint can with the spine of the knife.
Cutting plastic wrap to cover a paint tray until the first coat of paint was dry.
Kari used the knife to prune zucchini plants that were threatening to take over our garden.
Opening a box of trash bags from the township.
The Slicer Shark did an excellent job at all of these tasks and more.
The Shark Lock
The innovative Shark lock slides forward and backwards along the spine of the grip. It is held in place in the forward/locked position by a spring unless the user slides it backward to unlock the blade.
If the lock is in the forward position but the blade it not fully deployed, the lock exerts pressure against the portion of the blade that rotates around the pivot point. But if the lock is held in the rear position, it is not in contact with the blade, thus allowing the blade to rotate freely around the pivot point. This allows the blade, in turn, to be swung into the deployed position with the flick of the wrist. The blade can be swung closed in the same manner.
This makes the blade exceptionally easy to open and close one-handed, while providing enough friction when the lock is in the forward position to prevent accidental deployment.
Saber Grind
A flat grind blade begins to taper toward the edge all the way back at the spine of the blade. A Scandi grind blade does not begin to taper until very close to the edge. The saber grind blade falls between the flat grind and the Scandi grind, since the blade begins to taper toward the edge about halfway or so between the spine and the edge. This makes the blade stronger than a flat-ground blade with a similar-sized spine and width, and better at slicing than a similarly sized Scandi grind blade. I tend to prefer saber-ground blades on general purpose knives because of the versatility that they provide.
Drop Point
In a drop point blade, the spine of the knife descends in a convex curve to the tip of the knife. This convex curve typically brings the tip down about one-third of the width of the knife, to meet the ascending edge at the blade. This is in contrast to the clip point, in which the spine descends in a concave curve. As a result, a drop point blade is stronger than a similarly-sized clip point blade while providing almost as much blade control for delicate cuts. This versatile blade geometry is useful for a wide range of tasks. I tend to prefer drop-point blades on general purpose knives because of the versatility that they provide.
Conclusions
The Demko Shark Cub AUS10A Slicer Shark has an excellent design that is well executed using quality materials. It is attractive, solidly constructed, reliable, and effective.
I only retain a limited number of the EDC knives that I test. I have one in each of the glove compartments of our various vehicles. I have one on the pegboard by the workbench in the basement, and another on the pegboard by the workbench in the pole barn. I keep one in my fishing tackle box, and carry one whenever I am not testing another. The rest of the knives that I test, I give away to family and friends who need a good knife. I have tested enough knives by now that the ones that I keep are the best of the best.
The Slicer Shark is a very good knife. I am considering replacing the knife on the pegboard by the workbench in the basement with the Slicer Shark. The knife currently on the pegboard is an assisted opener, which is a lot of fun. But the Slicer Shark has a better blade and a more ergonomic handle. The jury is still out, but I think that function will triumph over form, so that the Slicer Shark will stay, and the other knife will go.
Disclaimer
Demko Knives provided me with samples of three of their knives, including the Shark Cub AUS10A Slicer Shark, for testing and evaluation. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.
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